Archive for January, 2009

Many people have used different acronyms to describe the nation Nigeria. Some described this nation as the most populous black nation in the world. In some quarters, Nigeria is the giant of Africa. In some other quarters, this nation had been seen or is being regarded as the economic hub of Africa, the nation of possibilities, the sleeping giant, the land of opportunities, the sports giant, the fraudsters haven, the nation with the dreaded green passport, the nation with the richest human and mineral resources in Africa, and the list goes on and on. And it is also believed in many quarters that there is something wrong with Nigeria.

Many believe that there is something wrong with Nigeria because many universal laws had not worked here. They believe something is wrong with Nigeria because in spite of our huge human and mineral resources, the greater majority are still living below the poverty line. Many also believe that there is something wrong with Nigeria because even the best brains are looking for greener pastures abroad and many of her citizens are doing menial jobs that they cannot afford to do at home abroad to make a living. For some their reason for saying that there is something wrong with Nigeria bothers on the high level of corruption in the polity.

But in spite of all these reasons, I do not believe that there is something wrong with Nigeria. What causes riots in Nigeria, causes ethnic wars in other countries. Things that make headlines elsewhere do not make it to the press here. The earthquakes ravaging other nations are virtually not heard of over here. The tornadoes, hurricane Katrina, hurricane ‘Jane’ and ‘Rose’ do not affect us on this side. The heavy floods and drought experienced in other places are very minimal in Nigeria. Wild fires are rarely making headlines over here. The foreign press had made it look like there is something wrong with Nigeria. But our weather is about the best in the world. And we are hospitable people.

There is nothing wrong with Nigeria but many things are wrong in Nigeria. There is nothing wrong with Nigeria because foreign investors still show great faith in Nigeria. But in Nigeria, universal laws or principles do not find a fertile place to blossom or be effective. In Nigeria, personal, ethnic or party interest supercedes National interest. In Nigeria, wealth shadows integrity, and selfishness overshadows patriotism. Illicit wealth is celebrated in Nigeria, and hard work is relegated to the background. In Nigeria most good proposals sent to banks, governors and government agencies are never acknowledged. Proposals receive attention if only they could be used to siphon millions of dollars out of the country. Chief EddieUgbomah expressed this openly in his column ‘Straight Talk’ recently in The Sun newspaper. Nominations in Nigeria are not based on competence but used for compensating party faithfuls and stooges of royal fathers or god fathers.

There is nothing wrong with Nigeria; we are blessed with the best brains in different fields and abound in different mineral resources. Sunday Adelaja said, “Nations do not grow or develop by virtue of their wealth, but by the wealth of their virtues”. It means that our growth or development is not solely hinged on the premise of our wealth of resources. Our virtues or value system guarantees our rate of growth or development. So, there is nothing wrong with Nigeria but in Nigeria and in Nigerians. The ‘Nigerian’ factor makes it almost impossible for universal principles to work in Nigeria. The problem is not with Nigeria but in Nigerians.

In Nigeria, the cacophony of ethnic voices and the ethnic militia groups have not allowed many things to align with the norms of democracy. People are always thinking about what they stand to gain personally and what their ethnic groups might gain. Nothing might really change until the ethnic patriotism is stopped and people look in the direction of national interest. We have been celebrating ethnic champions and not national heroes because of poor value system. Looters of the state treasuries and fraudsters are gallivanting around as elder statesmen. Corrupt public holders are not jail bound but unemployed youths are languishing in our prisons for minor offences. There is a rut in our polity but there is certainly nothing wrong with Nigeria.

Many Nigerians say there is something wrong with Nigeria. But it is the foreigners that know there is nothing wrong with Nigeria. The foreigners see potentials and possibilities while rustic Nigerians do not see anything good and therefore go abroad and buy houses they do not live in. There is no problem with Nigeria so let us deal with the problem in Nigeria. Let us deal with bribery, corruption, thuggery in politics, poor value system, lack of trust in Nigerian made goods and services, poor quality education and healthcare, unstable policies, lack of genuine commitment to national issues, ethnic sentiments and many others. There is nothing wrong ‘with’ Nigeria and the things that are wrong ‘in’ Nigeria are not without solutions.

Last year, the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Umaru Yar’Adua had on assumption of office set a target for his administration by identifying seven key priority areas in the task of the transformation of our country into an industrialised and a world class economy. These seven priority areas are: power and energy, food security and agriculture, wealth creation and employment, mass transportation, land reform and security, qualitative and functional education. He listed these seven good points minus good health.

It is said that health is wealth. All the afore mentioned priority areas of this administration are geared towards wealth creation and economy revelance. But it is also very true that he who neglects his health in the pursuance of wealth might get wealth eventually but may not be alive to eat from it. It is also very true that there are many Nigerian doctors abroad owing to the deteriorated state of our health sector. If it is true that health is wealth, these doctors abroad means wealth abroad. Our focus has been on getting wealth which we end up losing to the failing health sector.

Since the priorities of this administration did not include health, it means that the end is not in sight for our public office holders’ trips abroad for medical checks. You cannot hear that a public office holder in the organized economies goes outside the shores of his country for treatment. But millions of dollars, pounds and euros are wasted by our public office holders on medical trips abroad. The servant leader is not exempted from this practice. Even before he assumed office as the head of state, he had been part of this practice. It remains to be seen if he can ask others to stop the practice he is also involved in.

It is very obvious that they may have preferred spending the wealth targeted by 2020 for burial ceremonies, obituary adverts and parties. People from this part of the world prefer ‘Befitting Burial’ to good health management and care. So it may not be a mistake that this administration’s priorities do not include good health care. Even individual or corporate firms are not left out in this neglect. Organisations here all focus on the profit that they can make but pay little or no attention to the health care of their employees. Many have been paralysed, some have lost limps, some severely wounded and some have died in the course of performing their duties but little or no attention was given. It has almost become a norm.

The servant leader said he had declared state of emergency on energy and we are waiting to see the outcome. But he should also consider declaring that state of emergency on the health sector. If there were good hospitals and personnel ‘good enough’ to be called ‘good’, he would not had been flown to Germany while he was rounding up his campaign before the elections in 2007 or to Saudi Arabia not too long ago. He needs to do something serious in this direction if we are to take all his words very seriously.

The servant leader supports the removal of the immunity clause on serving executives; He should support the stopping of medical checks abroad by public office holders also. Our health sector needs urgent attention in order to save the nation the huge resources taken to other lands in the name of medical checkups or treatment. If the spate of medical trips abroad is not checked, these men and women in the corridors of power would not look seriously into the state of our health institutions. They all claim they have their peoples mandate and represent the people. But the people they claim that they do represent cannot afford basic health care services not to talk of medical trips abroad. Something needs to be done about our health sector urgently, so that by 2020 if we get the targeted wealth, we would not lose it to failing health. A stitch in time does not only save nine but 2020. Nigeria can be great again. Yes, we can! Good health care is possible!

“SERVANT LEADERS DON’T GAIN RIGHTS AS THEY REACH THE TOP, THEY SURRENDER THEM”

–“EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THOUGHT OF AS A SERVANT IN NIGERIA, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE”.

You may have tried to achieve some feat in 2008 but could not. It is very possible you may have given your dream feat your best shot, but you still could not achieve it. It is not time to give up hope. The year 2009 offers great hope yet again for your dream to manifest. It may be that your best was not good enough or it was not yet your time.

Some people who did not achieve their dream may have decided to throw in the towel. But I am telling you that it is just time to try one more time; it is not time to quit. Quitters don’t win, and winners don’t quit. You may be some few inches away from your major breakthrough, your dream job or contract. Your testimony may be the next in line.

Some of us did not try at all out of fear. You might succeed or fail if you try but doomed if you don’t try. This is your year, come of the box. Come out of your comfort zone and launch out. Think out of the box. Successful people are not people who have not failed; they are people who have failed, known how it wouldn’t work until they got it right. Failure is only a stepping stone to success. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from stepping out to try.

An ignorant man’s world is limited by the size of his knowledge, and the great man’s world is limited by the scope of his dream. It is time to re-invent yourself. Learn new ways to go about your dream. You may need to get new books and materials or take up past time lessons. You need to widen the scope of your dream. Dream big dreams. Don’t settle for mediocre or less than excellence. One’s philosophy is best expressed in the choices he or she makes. It is time to make healthy choices. You are where you are by the choices and decisions of yesterday. You can be where you are dreaming about by the healthy choices and decision you are willing to make today.

Beloved, this is certainly your year. But you can only have a happy new year when there is a happy new you. Drop the ‘you’ that failed to achieve last year. And put on a new ‘you’. Only a new you can bring about a new year. The you that achieved some feat last year may not be as strong to wade through the new year, so reinvent yourself and fortify your system for new challenges. Remember that whatever you are doing is taking you to your dream or away from it. You will excel this year in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Stay blessed and focused.